A gastrointestinal nematode in pregnant and lactating mice alters maternal and neonatal microbiomes

Int J Parasitol. 2021 May 31:S0020-7519(21)00194-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.03.008. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe maternal microbiome is understood to be the principal source of the neonatal microbiome but the consequence of intestinal nematodes on pregnant and lactating mothers and implications for the neonatal microbiome are unknown. Using pregnant CD1 mice infected with Heligmosomoides bakeri, we investigated the microbiomes in maternal tissues (intestine, vagina, and milk) and in the neonatal stomach using MiSeq sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Our first hypothesis was that maternal nematode infection altered the maternal intestinal, vaginal, and milk microbiomes and associated metabolic pathways. Maternal nematode infection was associated with increased beta-diversity and abundance of fermenting bacteria as well as Lactobacillus in the maternal caecum 2 days after parturition, together with down-regulated carbohydrate, amino acid and vitamin biosynthesis pathways. Maternal nematode infection did not alter the vaginal or milk microbiomes. Our second hypothesis was that maternal infection would shape colonization of the neonatal microbiome. Although the pup stomach microbiome was similar to that of the maternal vaginal microbiome, pups of infected dams had higher beta-diversity at day 2, and a dramatic expansion in the abundance of Lactobacillus between days 2 and 7 compared with pups nursing uninfected dams. Our third hypothesis that maternal nematode infect...
Source: International Journal for Parasitology - Category: Parasitology Authors: Source Type: research